Adjust desktop LCD brightness with Keyboard ?

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phuntism

n00b
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
7
Hey,

I love how laptops can change screen brightness from the keyboard (i.e. fn+up_arrow). However, when trying to adjust brightness on a desktop LCD, I hate navigating through some crappy OSD menus using tiny buttons that barely click, (I know some LCDs have a single button that toggles various brightness pre-sets, but my monitors don't, and the laptop method is still better).

Does anyone know of a way to get a desktop LCD monitor to change brightness using the keyboard?
Also, I might get a new video card soon, so if my particular set up cannot do this, is there a certain card/company/driver which makes this possible?

I like to adjust the brightness often depending on ambient lighting or what I'm doing, (gaming/surfing/video/etc.), and using the OSD is ridiculous.
Thanks in advance.

Setup
Windows XP ( WindowsXP WinXP )
two HP LP1965 lcd monitors http://search.hp.com/query.html?qt=lp1965
Intel Q35 Express (on board video I think - work computer).
 
Have often wondered this myself. It should not be too difficult to make a program that controls the monitor in place of the osd in a more friendly fashion. Hotkey assignment, color/contrast/brightness management, etc, via a drop down box or widget. Just have the monitor also plug into a usb port, and toss in a powered hub too. Something like that might even go just a little ways towards justifying the $1k+ price tags that many of the decent lcds command. Of course, a great deal of those adjustment can be done in the video cards control panel so long as the monitor is somewhat adjusted properly. I do sometimes miss the 4 or 5 adjustment knobs that the older crt's had. You could get at it pretty quick then. But, the good crt's had an on screen osd no different than lcds at the end.
 
Oh man, I wasn't going to bring it up in my post, but since you mentioned it... those crusty old CRTs with wheels for brightness and contrast right on the bottom of the bezel?! Ahhhh, good times :)
 
phuntism said:
Oh man, I wasn't going to bring it up in my post, but since you mentioned it... those crusty old CRTs with wheels for brightness and contrast right on the bottom of the bezel?! Ahhhh, good times :)
Click to expand...

Remember the really old ones that you had to stick a screwdriver into various holes in the back to reach the adjustors? Those always scared me.

As far as controlling a desktop LCD like a laptop, it's not quite as easy since the electronics controlling the display aren't integrated into the system like in a laptop. Manufacturers could start providing a way to control the panel through the display link (i.e. a revision to DVI/HDMI). The USB idea sounds cool too though.
 
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